Arizona Cardinals' rivalry with San Francisco 49ers dampened

by Kent Somers - Dec. 29, 2010 08:49 PMThe Arizona Republic

The NFL schedules divisional games in the final week of the season in the hope that competition for playoff berths and seedings provide additional drama. But that process sometimes produces some hazardous waste, such as the Cardinals' game at San Francisco on Sunday.

The only tangible element in this episode of the rivalry is draft position. The winner of the game certainly isn't going to brag about winning six games instead of five.

Both teams view this as a rivalry, although the rest of the world might not know about it.

The motivation to win is great, said the Cardinals, who have lost three consecutive games to the 49ers.

"To lose four in a row to a team is completely unacceptable," receiver Larry Fitzgerald said.

Motivation, however, has eluded the Cardinals. Five weeks ago, they had every reason to play hard against the 49ers. Although 3-7 then, the Cardinals weren't out of playoff contention in a division that a record of 7-9 could win. It was a home game on Monday night, a nationally televised game against a supposedly bitter rival.

All the 49ers did was beat the Cardinals so badly (27-6) that the marks are just now starting to fade.

The 49ers rushed for 261 yards that night and led 21-3 midway through the second quarter.

"We got beat on both sides of the ball up front," strong safety Adrian Wilson said. "Whenever you're playing a team like that, that relies on running the ball, relies on being physical, it all starts up front. It starts with the D-line. It starts with the O-line.

"We can go back and look at the first game and say that we didn't play with any intensity. We just got beat. It's just something we don't want to go back to."

But the Cardinals were taken back to that game this week by coaches and the miracle of recorded video. All year, the Cardinals, including coach Ken Whisenhunt, have maintained that they've played hard. But the difference in intensity between the first 49ers game and the Cardinals' performance last week in a victory against Dallas is striking.

"You see two different teams," Whisenhunt said. "It's been brought up. It's been discussed. I certainly hope that's not a repeat occurrence."

The Cardinals have said similar things this season. Before the season's second matchup against the Rams, the Cardinals looked at tape of their opening-day victory over St. Louis and were surprised by the difference.

Not surprised enough, apparently, to do anything about it. They lost to the Rams, 19-6, the week after losing to the 49ers. Both games were part of a seven-game losing streak that doomed this season.

Compared to the 49ers, however, the Cardinals are a stable organization. The 49ers fired coach Mike Singletary last Sunday after a loss to the Rams. They started interviewing general manager candidates this week as former defensive line assistant Jim Tomsula took over as interim coach.

Tomsula doesn't think the fact that both the Cardinals and 49ers have twice as many losses as victories cheapens the rivalry.

"It's been a neat deal," he said. "I think anybody will tell you there's a little extra energy when it's the Cardinals and the Niners."